Gage-locking device.



AHLBN. GAGE LOOKING'DEVIGE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1913.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

WITNESSES W. AHLBN. ,GAGB 100mm DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1913.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

W. AHLEN. GAGE LOOKING DBVIGE. APPLwATIdN mm: SEPT. 4, 1913 Patented. M ar.17,1 914.

rrien WILLIAM AHLEN, OF DUQUESNE, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAGE-Leanne DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 17, ism.

Application filed September 4, 1913. Serial N 0. 788,145.

. State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Gage-Locking Device, of which the following is "a specifieauon. '0

My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of means employed in looking the sliding carriage, forming the stop or gage of metal cutting shears, in position on the gage bar or arm of the shear upon which the stop is adjustably mounted.

One objector my invention is to provide a shear locking mechanism including means whereby the stop is moved away from in front of the bars or other material being sheared and having novel means for adjusting the shear stop with relation to the shear knives and forlocking the adjustable stop in the various positions into which it is moved.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification Figure 1 is a longitudinal side elevation showing a shear stop constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a partial plan on an enlarged scale showing in detail the locking device forming part of this invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4- is an end elevation of the and 3 showing the ratchet wheel and pawl by which the worm forming part of my improved locking device is held in adjusted position. Fig. 5 is a sec tional end elevation showing the ratchet wheel and pawl by which the locking device is held in looking position. Fig. 6 is a de tail elevation showing diagrainnlatically the rotary movements of the eccentrically mounted worm forming part of my improved gage locking mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 2 designates a horizontally extending arm or gage bar forming a support for the adjustable sliding carriage 3 which is suspended therefrom so as to move lengthwise on the gage bar 2. The gage bar 2 is positioned to extend lengthwise at the rear or on the di charge side of a metal cutting shear (not shown) above a food table on which the sheared materials are conveyed away from the shear, the lower surface of the gage bar being provided with a series of rack teeth for a purpose hereinafter described.

livot'ally secured toone end of the sliding carrage 3 is a swinging stop 4 having a stop plate o thereon extending across the width of the stop to engage, when in operative position, with the end of the rods or other metal material being cut by the shears. The stop 4 is pivotally connected to one end of the link 6 which, with the link 7 to which it is pivotally connected, forms a toggle for, moving the stop into and out of its open tive position beneath th sliding carriage 3 on the gage barlZ. The link 7 is keyed or otherwise fastened to the pivot pin or shaft '8 on the rear end of the sliding carriage 3 and an operating lever 9 having a handle on its upper end ispivoted to one end of the shaft 8 for the purpose of operating the toggle links 6 and 7 in moving the stop 4 into and out of its operative position.

The toggle links 6 and 7 are arranged to b moved by the manually operated lever 9 and shift the stop 4 into and out of the operative position shown by full lines in Fig. 1 into and out of its disengaged or inopei-ative position, shown by dotted lines in this figure, so that the step will clear the end of the materials when it is desired to deliver the sheared materials from the shear to a place of use or storage.

A rod 10 is pivoted at one endto the rear of the sliding carriage 3 and its opposite end projects through a slot in the llange l1 forming part of the stop i. A helical spring 12, which is threaded on the rod 10, is employed to exert pressure on the. flange 11 and hold the stop 4- in its raised-or disengaged position as is indicated in. dotted lines in Fig. 2 when the stop is raised by the hand lever E). A similar rod 13 is pivoted at one end to the lever 9 and the opposite end of the rod 13 projects through a. slot in the flang member 11 in the slot 4; in the same manner as has been described. helical spring is is provided on the rod 13 which acts on the lever 9. so as to assist the spring 12 in holding the stop in its raised or disengaged position.

' livotally secured in open ngs on the Front end of the sliding carriage 3 a shaft 15 having a spur pinion 1o thereon, the teeth of this pinion engaging with the rack teeth in the under surface of the gage bar 2, and

' to bring the face of the stop plate on the a hand wheel 17 is secured on one end of the shaft to plOVKle means for manually ad- ]usting the carriage 3 on the bar or arm 2 stop 4: the desired distance away from the face of the shear knives of the shear.

The apparatus as above described is old and does not in itself form part of this invention.

Pivoted on a bracket 18 which is provided on the rear end of the carriage 3, preferably with its longitudinal axis at an angle to the length of the carriage, is an eccentric shaft ratchet wheel and pawl being employed to hold the eccentric shaft 19 in its raised position in which the carriage is held against longitudinal movement on the gagebar 2. On one end of theworm 20, and secured to rotate therewith, is a second ratchet wneel 23 arranged to engage with the ratchet pawl 24.- which is pivotally secured to the rear end of the sliding carriage 3, this ratchet wheel and pawl being employed to hold the worm or screw 20 in the position upon theshaft 19 into which it is turned to lock the carriage on the bar 2 at a fixed distance from the shear blades. Holes 25 and 26 in the ratchet wheel 21 and in the worm 20 are provided to supply means for turning the worm 20 on the shaft 19 and for turning the eccentric shaft 19 in its bearings.

In'the operation of my improved gage locking device the carriage 3 is moved lengthwise on the gage bar or arm 2 by means of the hand wheel 17 until thd stop plate 5 on the stop f is at the necessary dis tance from the knives of the shear to out the materials to the required length. The eccentric shaftv 19 is then turned, preferably by means of a bar which is inserted in the holes 25 in the ratchet wheel 21, this'movement of the eccentric shaft lifting the shaft and the A worm 20 thereon until the tooth of the worm is raised from the depressed position shown in Fig. 6 into the raised position also shown in this figure. At the time of lifting the worm 20 it, in the majority of instances, has to be rotated on the eccentric in order to make its thread mesh the spaces between teeth of the rack, after which'it is locked by engagement of the pawl 2-fl-w1tlrthe ratchet wheel 23. Then in raised position the tooth of the worm 20 engages with one or more of the rack teeth in thegage bar 2 and, when the pawl 22 isthrowninto operative engage ment with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, the

worm will be held in such position until the pawl has been disengaged andtheashaft .9. is turned in the reverse direction to again bring the worm into its depressed or disengaged position. The material bein sheared is thenfed forwardly between the knives of the shear until the end-or ends thereof strike against the stop plate 5 on the stop 4, the" stop being positioned as shown in full lines in Fig. l. 4 The shear is thenactuated to sever the portion of the material in engagement with the stop 5 from the remainder of the multiple length materials. The materials then rest upon the delivery feed table, I

but endwise movement thereof away from the shear is prevented by reason of the stop' plate 5. The lever 9 is then mbved manually from the position shown in full lines into that shown by dotted lines inilFig. 1, and

this movement of the operating lsfizr 9 raises the toggle links 6 and 7 from the full line position of Fig. 1 into that shown by dotted lines.-

and clear the sheared materials then resting upon the feed table, and permit lengthwise travel thereof onthe feed table away from the shear. The lever 9" is then swung to again lower the stop 4 and stop plate 5 int-0' operative position and the materials to be out are again moved into'engagement with the stop plate, when the shearing operation is again performed. The above described operations are-then repeated as often as is necessary to cut the materials into the length determ ned by the position in which the stop is then locked on the gage bar 2.

When necessary to cut materials to a dif-.

ferent length the ratchet pawl 22 is released and the eccentric shaft 19 is turned to free the worm from the rack teeth in the gage bar 2 (the position shown in dotted lines in This movement of the toggle raises the'stop 4 and stop plate 5 so as to be above.

too

Fig. 6). The hand wheel 17 is then'manipu lated to move the sliding carriage 3 on the gage bar 2 until the stop is at the desired distance from the shear knives. The worm 20 is then again adjusted to bring it into locking engagement with the adjacent rack teeth in the gage bar 2 as has been described and the operations described are repeated.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. By the use of the worm and eccentric shaft the gage lock is easily and quickly moved into and out of locking position and when moved into locking position the worm forms a positive stop which prevents any movement of the gage or sliding carriage on'the gage bar or arm.

means employed in actuating the stop plate Modifications in the construction and armay be varied, and. other changes may i be made within the scope? of thehppendd claims. r I claim; 1. In a" "shear" gagelo'cking device, the combination with a horizontally extending .gage bar having rack teeth i1 the";' lfower surface thereof and a slidingfearriage moyable lengthwise on said barfofmeans on said carriage for locking the carriage on said bar, said means comprising a screw arranged to raise and lower into and out of engagement with the rack teeth on the bar,

and means whereby said screw is moved into and out of engagement with said rack teeth. v

2. In a shear gage locking device, the combination with a-horizontally' extending gage bar having rack teeth in the lower-surface thereof anda sliding carriage movable lengthwise on said bar, of means on said carriage for locking the carriage on said bar, said means comprising a screw arranged to raise and lower into and out of engagement with the rack teeth on the bar, means whereby said screw is moved into and out of engagement with said rack teeth, and

means for holding said screw in engagement with the rack teeth.

3. In a shear gage locking device, the combination with a horizontally extending gage bar having rack teeth in the lower surface thereof and a sliding carriage movable lengthwise on said bar, of means on said carriage for locking the carriage on said bar, said means comprising a screw arranged to engage said rack teeth to hold the carriage in adjusted position on said gage bar, a rotatable eccentric shaft on which said screw is mounted, and means for holding said shaft to prevent disengagement of the screw and rack teeth. Y

4. In a shear gage locking device, the combination with a horizontally extending gage bar having rack teeth in the lower surface thereof and a sliding carriage movable' lengthwise on said bar, of means on said carriage for locking the carriage on said bansaid means comprising a screw arranged to engage said rack teeth to hold the carriage'in adjusted position on said gage bar. a rotatable eccentric shaft on which sa d screw is mounted, means on said snatt whereby the shaft is turned to move the screw into and out of engagement with the rack teeth and means for holding said shaft to prevent disengagement of the screw and rack teethj I 5. In a shear gage locking device, the coml'iinaiion witha horizontally extending gage lam-having rack teeth in the lower sur face thereof and a sliding carriage movable lengthwise on said bar, of means on said .carriage for locking the carriage on said bar, said means comprising a screw arranged "i i-age in adjusted position-on saidgage bar,

'a rotatable eccentric shaft on which said screw] *is rotatably mounted, and means whereby the scre'w is rotated on said eccentric "shaft; g

6. 111" a-shearg'agc locking device, the

combination with a horizontally extending gage'bar having'iaclt teeth in the lower surface thereof and a sliding carriage movable lengthwiseon said bar, of means .on said carriage for locking the carriage on said bar, said means comprising a screw arranged to engage said rack teeth to hold the carriage in adjusted position on said gage bar, a rotatable eccentric shaft on which said screw is mounted, means .on said shaft whereby the shaft" is turned to move the screw into and out of engagement with the rack teeth, means for holding said shaft to prevent disengagement of the screw and rack teeth, and means for holding the screw against rotation on said eccentric shaft.

7. In a shear gage locking device, the combination with a horizontally extending gage bar having rack teeth on the lower surface thereof and a sliding carriage movable lengthwise on the gage bar, of a screw rotatably mounted on the carriage and arranged to swing eccentrically to move into and out of engagement with the rack teeth, means for moving the screw eccentrically into and out of engaging position with the rack teeth, and means for rotating the screw to move the screw into contact with the rack teeth. v

8. I11 a shear gage locking device, the combination with a horizontally extending gage bar having rack teeth on the lower surface thereof and a sliding-carriage lengthwise movable on the gage bar, of a rotatable screw, an eccentric shaft on said carriage on which said' screw is rotatably mounted aranged to move the screw into and outof engagement with the rack teeth, means for turning the eccentric shaft to move the screw into and out of engagement with said.

rack teeth, and means for preventing rotation of the eccentric shaft to hold the screw in locking position.

9. In a shear gage locking device, the combination with a horizontally extending gage bar having rack teeth on its lower surface and a sliding carriage lengthwise. movable on the bar, of a rotatable screw, an eccentric shaft on the carriage; on which. said screw is rotatably mounted,

arranged to move the screw into and out of engagement with the racktteeth, means for turning the eccentric shaft," means whereby said screw is turned on the eccentric shaft, and means for holding the eccentric shaft in turned position on said carriage.

10. In a shear gage locking device, the combination with a horizontally extending &

an eccentric shaft on the carriage, on which said screw is rotatably mounted, arranged to move the screw into and out of engagement with the rack teeth, means for turnlng the eccentric shaft, means whereby said screw is turned on the eccentric shaft, and

means for holding the eccentric shaft and 10 screw in turned position on said carriage.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. I WILLIAM AI-ILEN;

Witnesses:

T. E. MCDOWELL, GEO. L. NEFF. 

